Can Montreal win the Stanley Cup for Canada?

After two seven-game series, the number for Montreal to win the Stanley Cup is not very good at +700. It is far shorter than what was seen before the playoffs started. Give the Canadiens credit for getting through two series where they were underdogs. Likely, the run ends this round.

What teams are we watching in their offseason?

Currently, Vancouver and Toronto have proven to provide several compelling storylines as they try to reshape their management and respective rosters. Coaching decisions aside, the biggest decision may be on the Maple Leafs when it comes to Auston Matthews.

Are we keeping an eye on the IIHF World Championship?

Yes we are. With not all of the best players in the world at the tournament, strange things can happen especially once the elimination games start on May 28th. Early results suggest the defending champion United States could be in a bit of trouble. Canada is making an early statement.

What are the Game 1 moneylines from each series?

At press time, Carolina is approaching -200 to win Game 1 at home over Montreal. Meanwhile, Colorado is a solid -190 favorite to take care of business against Vegas to open their Conference Final series.

What about odds on lifting the conference trophies?

Yes, the debate of whether a team should lift their conference trophy will come to the forefront soon enough. Some teams do not care and some clearly do. Keep an eye when these numbers err if they open up.

NHL Betting Playoff News | Conference Finals Set

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The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs have made it to the Conference Finals. Now, the field of 16 teams in the greatest tournament in professional sports is down to four teams.

Colorado and Carolina remain the top two contenders to lift Lord Stanley’s Cup after Carolina advanced to the Eastern Conference Final while Colorado advanced easily in the West. Oddsmakers continue to focus on the latest Conn Smythe Trophy odds for the most valuable player of the playoffs. Nathan MacKinnon of the Avalanche continues to lead the way. Frederik Andersen of the Hurricanes currently is second.

Before we check on the latest NHL betting news and betting trends, we offer expert NHL betting analysis. So, make sure to check out the best NHL betting sites for 2026 and explore every Stanley Cup betting resource.

NHL betting storylines breakdown

Looking to place some bets as the Stanley Cup Playoffs continue? We have you covered with a complete breakdown of all the hockey wagers currently on the betting market. Scroll below to find the latest NHL storylines and betting opportunities on the following topics:

Vancouver and Toronto continue to make moves. Will this help the Canucks or Maple Leafs heading into the 2026-2027 season? We take another look.
Eastern Conference and Western Conference down to the final four. Carolina and Colorado remain the favorites to get out of the East and West respectively. However, could Vegas or Montreal shock the hockey world?
Punch in that Montreal and Carolina series. Will the Montreal Canadiens get revenge for 2006 and defeat Carolina?
The Conn Smythe Trophy market is still open! See who oddsmakers gave pegged to win playoff MVP below and see some sneaky longshots to claim the award.
Hart Trophy still undecided but Matthew Schaefer wins the Calder. Numbers are closing down as Schaefer took the award for best rookie announced last week.
Gavin McKenna and the field? The 2026 NHL Draft kicks off on June 26. It appears McKenna going to Toronto is still shortening in number.
Vegas and Colorado square off in the West. Check out our look at the Western Conference Final between the Golden Knights and Avalanche.

Vancouver Canucks names new executives, Toronto cleans house

The Vancouver Canucks named new executives late last week. Rumors came swirling around toward quite an interesting setup and sure enough that came to fruition. Vancouver is just going to go at this down a different yet somewhat familiar path to what we saw play out in Toronto – if you are Swedish that is.

Vancouver made Ryan Johnson General Manger of hockey operations. Toronto made Mats Sundin a senior executive. The twist here involves the Sedin twins – Daniel and Henrik. Yes, the two of them will be co-Presidents for the Vancouver Canucks.

Vancouver Canucks Chairman & Governor, NHL, Francesco Aquilini announced today that Daniel and Henrik Sedin have been promoted to Co-Presidents of Hockey Operations and Ryan Johnson has been named the 13th General Manager in franchise history.

DETAILS | https://t.co/V0qXipKC0K pic.twitter.com/cNT9yat6QD

— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) May 14, 2026

Alas, the Canucks have one of the hardest jobs in hockey. Turn a team that is cupboard bare with talent and prospects into one that can contend for a playoff spot in a few years. Hopefully, this three-headed “monster” can help Vancouver turn the corner.

Toronto, as expected, let Craig Berube go. While Vancouver ponders the latest with their coach (Adam Foote), it is clear John Chayka and Mats Sundin will continue to clean house. Assistant General Managers Brandon Pridham and Derek Clancy were let go last week as the management structure continues to take shape.

Eastern and Western Conference down to the final four

The elimination of Buffalo means the Carolina Hurricanes (-275) are even bigger favorites to come out of the East. Then, the Colorado Avalanche (-260) remain the top team to escape the Western Conference portion of the tournament. After that, things actually get a little simpler. Now, the Vegas Golden Knights (+210), could crash the predestined Carolina-Colorado clash. Vegas won the Stanley Cup in 2023 and has been a team playing with considerable house money.

Early conference betting numbers from the East reflect a somewhat easier series for Carolina. It is insane to think that the Hurricanes will have almost two weeks off (12 days) between series. Carolina last played on May 9th. Colorado has been off since May 13th while Vegas had only one fewer day of rest.

What could happen with Montreal and Carolina?

Yes, we have the Eastern Conference Final with the Montreal Canadiens and Carolina Hurricanes. The real question is what to make of a potentially another close series. We start this round with two teams not so close in the odds (-275 and +225 to come out of the East). The Montreal Canadiens upended the Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres in seven games while Carolina swept both Ottawa and Philadelphia.

Now, Montreal expects not to have it easy against Carolina. However, Montreal has shown a unique resolve winning Games 5 and 7 on the road in both rounds. The Canadiens remember the 2006 series versus the Hurricanes very well with fans having an even longer memory. This series gets underway on Thursday night from Raleigh, North Carolina.

Jakub Dobes has kept Montreal from losing back-to-back games. The last time that happened to Montreal was March 14th and 15th. Dobes survived against Tampa Bay in Round 1. Then, he fought his way past the Buffalo Sabres in a dramatic Game 7 overtime finish. Montreal’s young offense may have a tougher time against one of the best forechecking attacks in the NHL and the Logan Stankoven line for Carolina.

Carolina has home-ice advantage for the best-of-seven series. Series point props are still taking shape while the goal prop for this series seems to be all about Alex Newhook and Logan Stankoven. Do not forget the point and goal props along with the shots on goal one which have all plus-money numbers. The series props at -1.5 games offer some intriguing numbers. Carolina is around -135 to win in six games or fewer.

Conn Smythe options and odds decreasing more

Now, the Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded to the most valuable player to their team throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The award has been given to a player on the losing team in the Cup Final six times in NHL history. Connor McDavid accomplished the feat in 2024 but odds are that this will not happen in 2026. With Colorado and Carolina favored significantly in their respective conference finals, it is little surprise that an Avalanche and Hurricane player lead the way.

Nathan MacKinnon is only a +180 favorite (opened +600) to win the Conn Smythe thanks to an easy playoff run so far by his Colorado Avalanche. His teammate, defenseman Cale Makar (now +1400), dropped to sixth as Frederik Andersen (+600 down to +400) shortened again for the Hurricanes. If one is wondering, six of the first seven players are either Colorado or Carolina players. Three are from Carolina’s second line (all in the +1200 to +1500 range).

Looking away from Mitch Marner (+1200), there is Jakub Dobes (+2200, was +3500). Simply put, Dobes is the one thing standing in the way of a Carolina Hurricanes team pre-destined for a Stanley Cup final appearance. Montreal has clutch scoring to put a scare in Carolina but the goaltender will be the likely reason if Montreal advances further.

Conn Smythe longshots get slim. Carter Hart (+7500) of the Golden Knights will need a superhuman effort to help Vegas get past Colorado. Few are expecting this but if there to be upsets, players like Pavel Dorofeyev (+4000) and Cole Caufield (+5000) might not be worth a wager.

Matthew Schaefer wins Calder Trophy; Hart and others undecided

As almost guaranteed, the Calder Trophy was awarded to Matthew Schaefer. He was OTB for a reason. The Islanders’ defenseman was off the charts all season and a main reason why the Islanders nearly made the playoffs. Schaefer won the award taking home all 50 first-place votes (last done by Teemu Selanne in 1993). He tallied 23 goals and 59 points in his rookie campaign. A defenseman tied for the rookie lead in goals seemed crazy but Schaefer did it.

A late season swoon only may motivate Schaefer further. Do not be surprised to see him get nominated for the Norris Trophy for Best Defenseman next year. This year, Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes seem to be the Top 2 with Zach Werenski and Columbus a likely finalist. Can Makar repeat after winning it in 2025?

Currently, the Hart Trophy for league MVP remains far more contentious. Nathan MacKinnon (-175) is still the favorite. The Avalanche superstar saw his odds shorten a whisker while Connor McDavid (+225) and Nikita Kucherov (+225) lengthened ever so slightly. The NHL Awards will be broadcast on NHL Network and Sportsnet just before one of the games of the Stanley Cup Final. Date is yet to be announced due to the playoffs.

The Hart, Vezina, and Norris trophies will be the main part of the broadcast. Hey, that Vezina finalist battle shut down suddenly. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Ilya Sorokin were thought to be close. Jeremy Swayman felt like an afterthought all along. Vasilevskiy closed as short as -1600 on some sportbooks.

The latest and last Gavin McKenna and the field update

The Maple Leafs are more and more, likely to pick Penn State standout, Gavin McKenna.

McKenna went from -300 to -550 and now -600 to be selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs with the No. 1 pick. Some betting sites are still offering The Field at +380 to +400, and Swedish forward Ivar Stenberg remains the best backup here. Here’s where you can check out the latest NHL Draft Betting Odds 2026. as we approach June 26th from Buffalo, New York.

This is one that could lock up and close very soon.

Colorado and Vegas expected to light up the West

The Western Conference brought us the matchup many expected between the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights. Colorado outlasted the Minnesota Wild in five games while Vegas found a way to turn back the Anaheim Ducks in six games. Although that sixth game was a road rout.

In this Conference Final matchup, the Colorado Avalanche (-260) host the Vegas Golden Knights (+210) on Wednesday night. Naturally, Vegas is grabbing most of the headlines and not necessarily for all the good reasons.

The NHL just handed down a huge punishment to the Vegas Golden Knights for media policy violations 🤯 pic.twitter.com/Ixncxif6Jb

— Daily Faceoff (@DailyFaceoff) May 15, 2026

Game 1 cannot come soon enough as Vegas fully embraces the feeling of being the heel. As for the series itself, Colorado is around a -120 to -130 favorite when it comes to winning the series in six or fewer contests (-1.5 games). There are plenty of other series and series player props to choose from. Most goals in the Colorado-Vegas series belongs to Nathan MacKinnon. He is an easy +180 favorite but Pavel Dorofeyev (+450) may be the one to keep an eye on if the series goes six or more games.

By far, Colorado and. Vegas expects to be the most volatile and fiery series. Vegas knows they need even more from players like Jack Eichel and even Mitch Marner. Can Carter Hart deliver against one of the most relentless offenses we have seen in the past several seasons? Hart has been quite good in the playoffs (8-4, 2.37 GAA, .915 save percentage). With rest not being an issue in this series, count on this big series featuring many twists and turns.

Previous betting news updates

[May 2026]: Carolina still waiting with Colorado on the verge of advancing all while Montreal and Vegas in longer series.
[May 2026]: Carolina advances with Colorado and Vegas potentially on their way to advancing to the Western Conference Final.
[April 2026]: Colorado still favorites at +300 to win Stanley Cup. First round playoff matchups, Conn Smythe and Hart Trophy updates, and much more.
[March 2026]: National Hockey League late-season scheduling spots influence odds, with back-to-back games and travel fatigue leading to consistent value on rested teams.
[March 2026]: NHL regular season playoff race intensifies, driving sharp action on teams fighting for wild card spots and creating value on underdog puck lines.
[March 2026]: National Hockey League goalie injuries impact betting lines, with starting netminders ruled out causing moneyline swings of 25–50 points and totals increasing by 0.5 goals.
[February 2026]: National Hockey League trade deadline activity reshapes futures markets, with contenders shortening from +1400 to +900 after adding top-line scorers and depth defensemen.